Our Guiding Moonlight
by MrsLittletall
Summary: After Ludwig regained his sanity, the good hunter spares him. Ludwig, moving through the nightmare, enters the cathedral to reminiscent but can't believe it, when he sees a once beloved person in there. Pairing: Laurence the first Vicar/Ludwig the Holy Blade


(Author's note: It is my birthday today and I celebrate it with making y'all a gift! My very first Bloodborne fanfiction!

When I played the DLC I was very impressed with the character of Ludwig and then I fell downright in love with Laurence and then I had to experience that Laurence/Ludwig are a rarepair! So it feels like it is on me to fill their tag again ^^  
I wanted to have a bit of a more happy ending for these two, so I thought up this story. I hope you enjoy.)

"Aah, you were at my side all along...

My true mentor...

My guiding moonlight..."

With this, Ludwig grabbed for the glowing sword on his back, ready to strike the hunter down who had faced him, who saw nothing in him as this accursed beast he had become. What Ludwig didn't expect, was the hunter dropping their weapons, Ludwig, already in the process of striking done, managed to redirect the hit so that it impacted slightly next to them, but the shock wave still got them of their feet.

"What is the meaning of this?", Ludwig asked, as the hunter got on their feet, raising their hands in the air, showing that they indeed were unarmed.

"I refuse to fight.", they said. "You are no beast anymore. There isn't a reason for me to slay a prey that isn't one anymore."

And so Ludwig had allowed them to go on, whatever this nightmare was showing them, it didn't broke them, it did leave enough kindness in them to spare him and Ludwig returned the favour, even in the body of this unholy abomination he had become. Now that the adrenaline of the fight was gone, he actually had some trouble figuring his legs out, there were so many. After a while he had figured out a good way to walk though and traversed this nightmare, his holy moonlight sword drawn, but no beast or blood addled hunter even dared to challenge him, either his monstrous body or the glow of his holy moonlight sword scared them away. After a good while of wandering, Ludwig came across a building he remembered vividly.

"Ah, our great cathedral.", he murmured to himself, trotting in its direction. "It surely won't hurt to take a look, reminiscent in the good, old times, before..." He stopped, unable to go on with his thoughts. In front of the church, he found the first being that wasn't afraid of him, some grotesque creature with tentacles and a giant axe, but a strike from his sword silenced it immediately. At first, Ludwig feared that his giant beast self wouldn't fit through the doors, but against all odds, he seemed to fit just perfectly and entered the cathedral, visions of the masses they once held in front of his eyes, which vanished when he heard the blood curdling scream.

"REEEEEEEEEEE!"

The scream was followed by a slam on the ground that let it shake and a ring of fire spread from the impact. Ludwig laid his eyes on the beast, nearly not believing them.

"Laurence?"

He didn't need to look twice. He had recognized the beast in front of him instantly. He had been the only one who had burst into flames and even if that hadn't been the case, Ludwig would have recognized him anyway. They had spent too many nights together. Laurence screeched again and charged forward for an attack. Ludwig stared blankly and moved out of the way like it had been an instinct, staring at the holy moonlight sword in his hand. Sheathing the weapon, he prepared for Laurence's next charge, holding up against him with all the force of his beastly body, his hooves scraping on the floor of the cathedral.

"Laurence, stop this, please.", he grunted, he didn't thought that Laurence could be that strong, the vicar always had been the more scrawny one of them. "It's me, Ludwig, don't you recognize me?" Ludwig groaned when the flames that engulfed of Laurence started to sing his flesh. "Please, we don't have to fight. Laurence, snap out of it!" Ludwig finally got the upper hand and threw Laurence onto the ground, but it didn't took the beast long to stand up, another one of these unholy screeches escaping his throat.

Ludwig wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but the laughter was stuck in his throat. How should Laurence recognize him, he turned into that abomination. And he could see it in Laurence's eyes, he wasn't lucid at all. All that he saw was a prey to hunt down. Ludwig simply wanted to believe. He snapped out of the insanity. He wanted to believe that Laurence could do it too. They had danced around each other for quite some time now, but Ludwig knew that he wouldn't hold up forever, eventually he had to fight back or Laurence would win the upper hand and burn him to ashes.

When Laurence raised his arm, the mutated big one, Ludwig used the advantage, grabbed it and slammed Laurence on the ground, who screeched, either in pain or in fury. Ludwig quickly made sure to pin Laurence down, holding both of his arms, feeling his flames singing his flesh again.

"Laurence, how can I make you snap out of it..?", Ludwig started to feel desperate. "How have I managed to snap out of it...?" That was when he noticed the greenish glow coming from his back. Of course, he had snapped out of it because of his guiding moonlight, his sword that had never left his side, even when he had turned into such a horrid beast. Ludwig stared into Laurence's face, he was growling and hissing and struggling and Ludwig knew he wouldn't be able to hold him down much longer.

"Laurence, please, recognize me, it's me Ludwig.", he said, staring deep into his eyes, the mindless eyes of a beast. "We have always been there for each other. Let me be your guiding moonlight." His voice started to quiver. "Please don't force me to do this again..."

Ludwig didn't expect it to work, Ludwig already prepared himself mentally to have to finish Laurence off, like it had happened so long ago, when the growls of Laurence started to cease and he stopped struggling.

"Reee?", Laurence said. It sounded like his screech, but also not. Ludwig didn't felt secure to let go of Laurence now. His arms and hands were singed badly by Laurence's flames already.

"Laurence? Are you back?", Ludwig asked. "Do you recognize me?"

"L...Ludwig?", he heard a voice. A bit raspy, but he could recognize the voice, that was indeed the voice of Laurence. Ludwig stared into his eyes and saw that the lucidity had returned to them.

"You have already looked better." Laurence managed to transform his snout into some kind of grotesque grin.

"And you once haven't been in flames.", Ludwig countered. He finally felt secure to let go of Laurence's arms and sat down in front of him, the vicar struggling a bit to get up.

"What happened?", Laurence asked. "I remember having searched for something, but not much more..." He stared at the burns on Ludwig's skin. "...Have I hurt you...?"

"Don't worry about it, the important thing is that you are back.", Ludwig said and smiled at Laurence, or tried to morph his face into what could be closest count as a smile. "The memories will come back to you in time."

Laurence sat on the floor, kinda looking like a beat puppy, but suddenly stood up and embraced Ludwig. "I missed you.", he cried out. "I was scared, all alone here, searching for I didn't even knew what, feeling like everyone I once had left me." Laurence pulled back from the embrace suddenly. "Oh no, I have burnt you again, I am sorry..."

"Actually... it only felt pleasantly warm.", Ludwig said, coming closer to Laurence, scooping him up, guiding his arms around his big body. "I think you are able to control your flames. Just tell me, Laurence, do you remember how you were able to recognize me?"

"It was the sword.", Laurence answered. "You never went anywhere without it."

Ludwig smiled at him, rubbing circles into Laurence's back. "Yes, it was what made me remember too.", he said. "I guess it is not my guidance alone anymore, but instead, our guiding moonlight."


End file.
